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Qatar

Sahar bounded away to go and talk to the new girl. Qatar stayed in the shadows. He could hear Sahar’s bracelets jingling as she hurried away, and he couldn’t tell if he thought it was disgusting or pretty. He shrugged.

there it was again. The quiet splash, followed by the murmur of stones. Only this time the splash hadn’t been so quiet.

It’s coming closer.

He looked around, wondering if anyone else had heard it. A knot of people, including Quin was standing around the new girl. Quin had stars in his eyes.

I can see right through you, Little Brother.

Qatar turned away in disgust and started along the wall, toward the noise.

For an instant he paused, wondering if he should tell anyone. It was an instinct their mother had instilled in them from children–tell someone where you’re going.

He glanced toward Niarok, but he and his sister were having an altercation in the middle of the cave. He shook his head.

his torch would have been helpful.

As he went farther back, the wall began to slope down and the floor to slant up, making an uneven walking surface.

little pebbles and pieces of shale tumbled down, clattering against each other and the floor.

This could be what the noise was. But if that’s the case, there’s something hiding back here.

for an instant he paused, peering into the dark. He felt his belt. There was the knife he wore for farm work, hard and reassuring in it’s sheath.

He glanced back to make sure Quin hadn’t tried to follow him. It’s no place for you, Little Brother, he thought, as his feet scrabbled at the loose stones.

He could feel the ground rising under him, and the air was colder. he gripped the cave wall for balance as his footing shifted constantly underneath him. He looked up–ahead of him the loose rock ended in a solid shelf, but he had to angle away from the wall if he wanted to reach it. He glanced behind him. he had already climbed ten feet, and it that distance again to the ledge. If he fell he would cause a miniature avalanche. He bent low an made a dash for it.

His feet slid beneath him, and he almost fell, but in the end he gained the ledge. The gap between himself and the wall had widened, and between lay a sloping rabble of loose stones that continued to rise into the darkness above him.

he paused to listen. A splash, followed by the tumbling stones, just to the left along the ledge. He gripped his knife.

 

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I better not make this too long or nobody will read it, lol. So…”To be continued.”